Casselberry To Review Again County's Rescue Agreement

CASSELBERRY — The second round of Seminole County's pitch for an automatic aid firefighting and rescue agreement with Casselberry will be made to the city Monday night.

Also on the busy council agenda are a final public hearing for the city's proposed ordinance to regulate topless bars and adult bookstores and theaters, consideration of an agreement to help pay for repairs at the Iron Bridge regional sewage treatment plant, and another discussion of garbage service with the general manager of Danjohn Services Inc.

County Public Safety Director Gary Kaiser has prepared maps showing what the extent of Casselberry's responsibility would be to provide first-response fire and rescue service to areas of unincorporated Seminole County. They also show how parts of Casselberry could be served later this year by up to six additional fire stations that have paramedic service.

Kaiser's argument is that such an agreement would serve all the participants in first-response: Altamonte Springs and Longwood, along with the county and Casselberry, because more fire and rescue apparatus would be available. The county's average response time for emergency calls is 3 minutes, 46 seconds, Kaiser's report said.

All dispatching of fire and rescue calls would be handled through the county's computer-assisted communications system, which automatically tells dispatchers the fire station closest to the location of an emergency.

Some councilmen have expressed reservations about the program, fearing that the city may give more than it received from the program.

Since Kaiser's first presentation on the program last month, the county commission has agreed to put a paramedic-staffed ambulance at its new station in Fern Park and the city has equipped its second advanced life support ambulance, though it's not yet on the road.

Also at Monday's meeting, the council is scheduled to:

-- Consider approval of an agreement with the city of Orlando to shoulder an estimated $1.4 million toward the cost of Iron Bridge repairs.

Casselberry was sued in federal court Friday by Orlando in an effort to compel the city to sign the agreement.

-- Conduct a final public hearing and vote on a measure that would tighten the city's zoning control over adult-oriented entertainment establishments.